August 06 2011

Fresh, Crisp & Clean

The dreary days of winter are approaching.  One easy way to brighten your surroundings is to put a fresh coat of paint on your walls.  I tend to stick with bright, crisp, clean colors that remind of...beach resorts!  Here are the latest shades that help make my home feel light and airy all year long.  Fog by Porter Paint is my favorite "light gray" (thanks A.J. and her decorator for sharing this color with me).  It looks beautiful in every room!  White walls are not for everyone, particularly those with little ones, but there is nothing more beautiful than a super "clean" white wall.  My kitchen, powder room and new master bath are Super White by Benjamin Moore.  I use Super White on all trim and doors.  Last but not least, I searched for the perfect cream for my master bedroom.  Maritime White by Benjamin Moore is soft and soothing.  Love it!  

Note: Decorator's White by Benjamin is another popular white. It has a hint of gray if you don't like the Super "bright" White.  

Tip: Magic Erasers are a must-have for all walls, especially WHITE WALLS!

Rule of thumb: Matte or Satin on walls and semi-gloss or gloss on trim and doors.

Secret: I have Home Depot color match my swatches so I can afford to freshen up as often as needed.  

June 02 2011

Old Door, New Table, etc…

Okay, so I know people have been repurposing old doors for years and I have finally jumped on the bandwagon!  I just recently changed out all of the 1950's doors in my house and just so happened to be in need of a new outdoor dining table.  I love it!  What I love most is that it was FREE (in a relative sense) and because it was free, I am FREE to paint it any color I want as often as I would like.  You never know, it might be red, white and blue for the 4th of July!  But for now, I am enjoying my pristine hi-gloss white "vintage door" table.  

How to make your own table, headboard, wall art, or desk.  Be creative with your choice of legs.  Great resources: Ikea, Home Depot, restaurant supply warehouse...

April 19 2011

Govino

While dining in a little cafe in Santa Monica last weekend, I fell in love with these light weight, polymer, ergonomic glasses.  Much to my delight, when I asked where I could get them, the server responded, "we sell them here!"  My kind of place!  I bought several sets of Govino "go anywhere wine glass" for friends and myself.  The timing is perfect for alfresco dining and poolside cocktails.  They are intended for wine but mine was used for fresh squeezed juice and I'm sure they'll find their way into the hands of my little ones (and no worries since they're shatterproof!)

Other features:

-made from a proprietary, food-safe/pharmaceutical grade polymer "aka" PETG

-reflects a wine's color and projects it's aromatics much like crystal

-BPA-free

-reusable

-recyclable

-designed to swirl

March 15 2011

Art Form

Introducing the New Age light bulb by European company, Plumen.  It's the first "designer" bulb that you just might want to show off.  It uses up to 80% less energy and lasts up to 8 times longer than the standard incandescent...eco-friendly and stylish.  Available late April in the U.S.

It radiates a warm (non-blinding) white light.  What do you think? Will you be one of the first to lose the shade?  

February 27 2011

More than just a place mat

One of everything, please!

Chilewich woven vinyl flooring and accessories are made of a durable signature textile bonded with a flexible commercial-grade backing. They are perfect for high-traffic areas that require a clean, sophisticated look.  Take a look at their sleek woven floor mats (bamboo, my favorite), their roller shades are exclusively designed by The Shade Store, they even have a line of iphone cases and pet mats.  I love them all.  Made in USA.

January 29 2011

Paperless Post

Posted by Amanda

A girlfriend of mine, who shares my affinity for paper products, recently introduced me to paperlesspost.com.  I love sending and receiving beautiful invitations, announcements, and thank you notes. Who doesn't?  But I also like to be as eco conscious as possible.  Email invitations are so convenient.  They're quick and make it easy to manage guest lists and correspondence, but let's face it, Evite, and others like it, just aren't that attractive and don't generate the smiles and excitement that you get when you recieve a beatiful invitation or note. Enter Paperless Post: the best of both worlds.  Invitations arrive via email in a lined envelope with a virtual response card.  They are high quality letterpress and absolutely gorgeous! I recently used Paperless Post to send invitations for a ladies luncheon and I'm so pleased with how they came out!  The site is really easy to use and the cost was reasonalble.  (I sent 30 invitations for $10).  You purchase "stamps" for sending and "coins" for extra customizing like envelope liners and logos.  Now I'm just looking for reasons to send these cards, so don't be surprised if you get a paperless Thank You for simply saying "Bless You" if I sneeze

January 16 2011

M. Elle Designs

My dream home!  If you enjoyed and want to see MORE of the interior of our previous post, "Winter Wonder", you will fall deeper in love with M. Elle Designs.  The contrast of natural rustic chic with the sophisticated, rich warm grays and deep chocolate browns make this home the perfect zen-ful spa-like retreat. Please, don't wake me up!